Weft-thread catcher and holder for automatic weft-replenishing looms.



E. H. BALLOU.

WEFT THREAD CATCHER AND HOLDER FOR AUTOMATICVW'EFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.APPLICA'HON FILED AUG.6.1917.

1, 72,599. Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET m: NORR'S PEYERS ca. FNOTO-LITHOH WASHING mu. 0. c.

tUNiTEiE STATES FATENT @FFEQE.

H. BALLOT), OF'PANTUCK'ET, RHODE ISLAND,'ASSIGNOR T0 DRAPER CORPORA-TION, 0F HOPEDALE, IdASSAC I IUSETTS, A GORPORATION OF MAINE.

WEFT-THREAD CATCHER, AND HOLDER. FOR. AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Application filed August 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EUGENE H. BALLOU, of Pawtucket, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented anew lVeftThreadCatcher and Holder for AutomaticlVeft-Replenishing Looms, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In automatic weft replenishing looms the spare weft carriers are usuallymaintained in a magazine mounted on a fixed part of the loom and the endof each weft carrier isatev tached to a weft end holder. Then, when aweft carrieris supplied to the loom and the shuttle is picked from thereplenishing side of the loom to the opposite side, a strand of weft isleft extending from the Weft nd holder to the selvage of the cloth. Itis the usualpractice to cut this strand of weft close to the selvage sothat a loose end of weft is left secured at one end to the weft endholder. This loose weft end is apt to get caught by the picker and'inayget broken off and carried into the shed with a resulting blemish in thecloth. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a catcher andholder for this loose weft end which will maintain it out of the way ofthe picker until the weaver hasopportunity to visit the loom and removeit altogether.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, -wherein-Figure 1, 1s a front view of so much of the replenishing end of the loomas is necessary for an understanding of the invention. Fig. 2, is a planView of a portion of the lay and shuttlebox at the replenishing side ofthe loom. Fig. 3, is a vertical cross section in the plane indicated bythe line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 illustrates the lay A; the shuttle box B, at the replenishingside of the loom; the shuttle C, within the box; the picker D; a rotaryniagaziiie E, of the well known Northrop type (as illustrated forexample in United States Letters Patent of Northrop No. 529,940,November 27, 1894) a weft end holder F, carried by the magazine; a weftcarrier G, in the magazine; and a strand of Weft H, extending from theweft end holder to the selvage of the cloth shown at I, in Fig. 2. Thiscondition of the weft end H, exists until it is cut close to the selvageby a thread cutter of any of the now well known varieties. One suchcutter is illustrated in United States Letters Patent of Draper andStimpson No. 585,465, June Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1c, 1918.

bracket J, is secured to the front side of the lay and it has a forwardextension K, and a top L, which is secured to the back of the lay andoverhangs therace plate 'M, and

the shuttle path, being a sufficient distance above the race plate toafford room for the free passage of the shuttle. The extension K,extends forwardly of the race plate, the front of the lay and the frontof the shuttle box, and constitutes a holder for the weft end. A threadcatcher N, is piroted at O, to the top plate L, extends downwardlythrough a slot P, therein, and rests at its lower free end upon thebot-- tom of the holder K, as shown in Fi 3, thereby closing the rear ofthe holder. The lower end of the catcher N, is beveled as shown at'Fig.3, so as toafford a flaring mouth or entranceQ, for the weft end. Thecatcher is forward of the front of the shuttle boX.

When a fresh weft carrier has been inserted in the shuttle and theshuttle has been picked to the other side of the loom the freshly laidstrand of weft is beaten up to the fell of the cloth to the positionshown in Fig. 2. The lay then retreats from the fell of the cloth asindicated in Fig. 2, thus leaving the weft end H, extending at an angleto the length of the lay from the fell and selvage of the cloth to theweft end holder F. During this retreat of the lay the weft end H, isguided upwardly and forwardly by the outwardly and upwardly curvingguide B (Fig. 3), of the bracket J, into the flaring entrance Q, belowthe catcher N. This inclined thread directing guide is between. theshuttle path and the holder and guides the weft thread to the catcherand the holder. Then as the lay continues its retreat the weft endpasses beneath the catcher N, and into the chamber of the holder K,which is forward of the catcher N. The weft end is sufficiently tautbetween the selvage and the weft end holder, and the catcher N, issutliciently light so that the thread lifts the catcher and gets intothe holder. Then,

' in a weft replenishing loom of the character set forth in LettersPatent of the United States, No. 1,244,827, Oct. 30, 1917. In accordancewith that patent, when a change of weft is called theshuttle box stopsduring its forward movement when about half way forward while the laycontinues its forward course so that the shuttle and shuttle box arestanding still at the time a fresh weft carrier is transferred from themagazine into the shuttle. This involves a position of the magazinefarther back than in the loom shown in the aforesaid Northrop Patent No.529,940, wherein a fresh weft carrier is transferred from the magazineto the V shuttle when the lay and the shuttle box are substantially attheir most forward positions. By reason of this rearward location of themagazine in the loom of the aforesaid Patent No. 1,244,827, the place onthe weft end holder F, where the newly inserted weft end .H, is locatedis closely above the picker when the picker acts with the result thatthere is an added danger of the loose weft end being caught. WVhen,however, the thread holder and catcher herein set forth are employed theloose weft end is held sufficiently forward of the picker to prevent theweft end being caught thereby.

' I claim 1. A weft replenishing loom having, in

combination, a weft end holder carried by the lay and extending in frontof the race plate of the lay and located close to the mouth of theshuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom; a pivoted gravitycatcher closing the rear of the holder and resting on the bottom of theholder with a flaring entrance between it and the bottom of the holderfacing the shuttle path; and an inclined weft thread directing guidebetween the shuttle path and the thread catcher.

2. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a weft end holdercarried by the lay and extending in front of the race plate of the layand located close to the mouth of the shuttle box at the replenishingside of the 100m; and a pivoted'gravity catcher closing the rear of theholder and resting on the bottom of the holder with a flaring entrancebetween it and the bottom of the holder facing the shuttle path.

' 3. A weftreplenishing loom having, in combination, a weft end holdercarried by the lay and extending in front of the race plate of the layand located close to the mouth of the shuttle box at the replenishingside of the loom; and a pivoted gravity catcher closing the rear of theholder and resting on the bottom of the holder.

4. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a weft end holdercarried by the lay and extending forward of the shut-' tle box at thereplenishing side of the loom, and a movable catcher normally closingthe rear of the holder.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EUGENE H. BALLOU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O. i

